After nearly a year, thousands of kids in Santa Clara County will soon be allowed back on the football field and in the pool.
Late Monday afternoon, the county joined the state in allowing kids to compete in outdoor sports starting Friday because of the low risk of transmission outdoors and declining COVID-19 cases.
David Grissom, the commissioner overseeing high school sports in six local counties, is thrilled.
“One hundred percent, they made the right decision,” he said. “I am ecstatic that they made that decision. I will admit I was concerned . I'm glad they looked at the needs of the students and put them first.”
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Grissom says high schools will only be able to compete against teams in adjacent counties with lower COVID-19 cases and schools will have to do a lot of work to implement the new safety protocols, but he says it's worth it to help kids who’ve struggled during the shutdown.
“The mental health of kids is so important and it has taken a backseat during this pandemic giving them an outlet now to compete is such a positive thing for them,” he said.
The new state guidelines still do not allow indoor sports which is why attorneys for several female athletes in San Mateo County say they plan to pursue legal action as soon as Tuesday to get the county to allow indoor volleyball competitions.
